


The Promise

by rumbelle_af



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-04-24
Updated: 2016-04-24
Packaged: 2018-06-04 05:20:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 1,473
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6642943
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rumbelle_af/pseuds/rumbelle_af
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Rumplestiltskin provides Belle with an opportunity to leave Storybrooke and have their happy ending</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Friday Nights

Friday's always went slow for both Rumple and Belle. The hours dragged by, no matter how occupied they made themselves. Belle tried to pass time by rearranging her library shelves, and Rumple would meticulously polish the items in his shop. Fridays weren't slow because it was the last day of the work week or because no one stopped in the library or pawn shop. 

Fridays dragged by because they were date night for the Golds. 

Rumple treated Belle as his queen, and to him, that meant setting aside time for her without fail. Yes, they were married, but he didn't want to lose the magic of their relationship, like he had with Milah. Rumple glanced at the clock above his desk: 5:45. Close enough, he decided. He closed the shop early and drove down the road to wait for Belle. Rumplestiltskin parked right in front of the door and got out to lean against the car while waiting. 

He saw Belle through the front door windows. She wore neither a smile nor a frown, but simply a blank face as she tried to occupy herself for the few remaining minutes, losing herself in the books she loved so much. Every day, Rumplestiltskin loved her more, and in this moment, he knew she was the real magic in his life. He would be perfectly content watching her for hours. Finally, six o'clock rolled around and Belle came outside. She flashed a smile at her husband as he watched her lock up. 

"Come along, dearie. Time waits for no man. Or woman," he teased. She approached him and put her arms around his neck, giving him a quick kiss. 

"On the contrary, Mr. Gold. Time stands still when I'm with you." Hands on her hips, he pulled her even closer and brought her lips to his. If what his wife said was true, he could stay in this moment forever. "So, where are we going tonight?"

Rumplestiltskin pretended to consider their options.

"Well, my dear, let's start with a walk."They walked arm-in-arm through town. Mr. Gold used to enjoy walking through Storybrooke, by himself, watching people hurry out of his way in fear. The man walking down Main Street today couldn't be more different. He enjoyed the smiles on people's faces as he passed, his wife by his side, everyone knowing he had changed and she was his happy ending. Mr. And Mrs. Gold walked along the beachfront. Belle had removed her shoes and was walking on the wet sand, letting the waves crash at her feet. Still holding her hand, Rumple walked a couple feet apart from her, not wanting to get wet. She noticed his contemplative look.

"Something wrong, Rumple?" He stopped and looked out at the sunset, gathering his thoughts. He looked half excited and half nervous as he began to talk.

"I've been working, Belle, with magic. I know how you feel about that, but please let me explain... A long time ago, I went to go find my son, and you wanted to come with me but I only had enough potion to get me across the town line. I've finally been able to make enough for two."

"What're you saying, Rumple?"

"We could leave Storybrooke. You and me."

"But we both need something we cherish, that we would have to carry at all time for this to work. What do we have that could do that?" she inquired. Now, the excitement was gone. He was just plain nervous. Still holding one hand, he reached into his pocket with his free hand and brought out Belle's wedding ring. 

He got down on one knee.

"Will you travel the world with me, Belle?"

"But you'll...you'll lose all your power."

"It's simple, dearie. You mean more to me than my power."


	2. Surprises and Silent Promises

"So, Belle, what's up?" Emma's voice brought Belle out of her daze and back to her friends. She had asked Emma, Snow, and even Regina to meet her at Granny's the day after Rumple asked her to leave with him. Belle had her hands clasped together in her lap this whole time. Finally she brought them above the table and wrapped them around her warm coffee mug. Although it wasn't why she finally showed her hand, all three women immediately noticed that Belle was wearing her wedding ring once again. "Whoa, when did that happen?" 

Belle looked from Emma to the others.

"Last night actually," she confessed, gazing at her coffee. We were on our date night and he asked me to travel the world with him..."

"What does that even mean?" Regina quipped. Belle slowly met her gaze.

"Rumplestiltskin and I are leaving Storybrooke." Everyone's face was plastered with a thousand questions. How? When are you leaving? Did you say yes? Where will you go? Belle began to answer the questions before they were even spoken. "I said yes. He said he would give up his power to make me happy and this is his way of finally proving it. We haven't talked much about it yet...I'm still trying to believe it's real."

The air became heavy with the feeling of friends who never wanted to say goodbye. Despite that, Snow attempted to brighten the mood.

"That's fantastic! You guys really deserve to be happy," she smiled at Belle. Belle smiled back, knowing this would be very hard for her to do when the time came. She looked to the clock on the wall.

"I've got to go, I promised Rumple I'd be home soon so we can start discussing our plans." Without giving her friends a chance to respond, Belle left Granny's. She wasn't going to say "goodbye" more than she had too, even if it was just a coffee date with friends.

She came home to find her husband sitting on the couch, reading. Upon seeing her, he put his book down and patted the spot next to him, asking her to come sit. She came and curled up against him, her head on his shoulder, his arm around her. He planted a kiss on the top of her head. A smile crept onto her lips and she turned her face up to her husband's. The sparkle in his eyes reflected her own as she stretched to bring her lips to his. They had kissed many times a day since the day the curse broke, save for the time they spent apart. But this kiss was different. Rumplestiltskin slow gentleness was more than a sign of affection - it was a promise. He would be the man Belle deserved, and he would do it without magic. It would be hard for them in a different world, but he would never let anything happen to her.


	3. Reality Check

Within a week, half the things in the Golds' house was either boxed up or discarded. There was a lot to go through, and they often found themselves distracted by the things they rediscovered along the way. More often than not, Rumple found his wife with a book in her hands. She wasn't reading the book, but rather, the inscriptions Rumplestiltskin had written in them and the memories surrounding each book. They had made a decision to leave most things behind; this was about starting over for them. Belle's personal library, of course, was coming with them. Rumple had purchased a trailer for their car and daily added boxes to it. By the end of the day, everything they decided to take with them was packed in the trailer.

Sleep evaded Belle that night, the last night she was to ever spend in Storybrooke. She was curled up in bed, her back against Rumple's chest, his arms wrapped around her. She mindlessly spun the ring on her finger, constantly reminding herself that this was real. She was leaving to go see the world, but instead of Rumple sending her to live her dream, he was coming with her. The reality of it was that everything she wanted, she was getting.

"Rumple?" she whispered. His face still buried in her hair, he made a small noise to let her know that he was awake enough to hear her. "I love you, Rumplestiltskin."

"I love you, too, Belle," he murmured. She was sure he had fallen back asleep, but she undoubtedly heard him murmur one last thing, "forever, my dear."

Belle lay awake for a couple hours more, thinking of all the wonderful places she had read about.

As usual, Rumplestiltskin was awake and dressed before Belle, although his new usual was jeans and one of his business shirts instead of his suit. She quickly dressed herself and went downstairs where her husband awaited her. He stood in the middle of their empty living room, hands clasped behind his back. He could tell she was already about to cry.

"I'm scared, Rumple."


End file.
